J.D. Admissions

How to Apply

If you seek a high quality legal education in a collaborative, dynamic community committed to excellence, service, and individuality, we encourage you to apply to UC Davis School of Law. The Admissions Committee is seeking law students of demonstrated academic ability, as evidenced by many factors including LSAT scores, the undergraduate grade point average (GPA), any economic or other disadvantages overcome by the applicant, graduate studies and extracurricular activities. The School of Law also has a commitment to diversity and an important goal of the admission process is a student body with diverse backgrounds, interests and skills.

We will begin accepting applications for Fall 2015 J.D. admission on September 1, 2014, through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) online application site and there is no fee to apply. Students are admitted for the fall semester only. UC Davis School of Law offers a three-year, full-time program only. There is no part-time, evening, or summer program.

Applicants for admission to the professional curriculum of the School of Law, leading to the degree of Juris Doctor, must evidence a record of sufficiently high caliber to qualify for the study of law. A bachelor's degree, or an equivalent degree from a college or university of approved standing, must have been earned prior to the time the applicant begins work in the school.

Application Requirements

All applicants must meet the following requirements to receive consideration for admission to the first-year class. All completed applications are evaluated by the Admissions Committee. Students who have been disqualified at another law school will not be admitted to UC Davis. Any fraudulent practices relating to the admission process will be considered grounds for disqualification by the Admissions Committee.

Requirements for All Applicants

Take the LSAT no later than February 2015 and no earlier than February 2010

Personal Statement of two to four pages (double-spaced, 12-point font)

The Statement may discuss any of a variety of factors, including academic promise, background information and any discrepancies in GPA and/or LSAT score; growth, maturity and commitment to law study as evidenced, for example, by extracurricular activities, community service, employment experience and advanced study; severe economic disadvantage or physical disability; other factors relating to diversity, including bilingual skills and unusual accomplishments, skills or abilities relevant to the legal profession

Letters of Recommendation (minimum of two, no more than three) from individuals who know the applicant well and are not related to him/her. All letters must be submitted through LSAC, and evaluations are not considered.

Official Transcript(s) from all institutions attended. Applicants earning grades after initial application should submit supplementary transcripts as soon as they are available.

Résumé (one to two pages preferred)

Supplemental Materials Optional for All Applicants

NOTE: All optional supplemental material combined with the personal statement should NOT exceed four pages. Supplemental addenda should follow your personal statement and appropriately labeled within the personal statement document you plan to upload with your application. Supplemental materials submitted after the four page limit may not be added.

Diversity Statement (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-2 pages) describing background or an experience that enables an applicant to bring a unique perspective to the study of law or contribute to serving diverse populations

Additional Requirements for International Students

Applicants who have completed the bachelor's degree outside the US (including its territories) or Canada must submit transcripts to the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). A Foreign Credential Evaluation will be completed and submitted to the law school as part of the CAS report. A TOEFL score is required of all applicants educated outside the US and for whom English was not the primary language of instruction. Contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to request that your TOEFL score be sent to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL code for CAS is 0058. Your score will be included with the Foreign Credential Evaluation document that will be included in your law school report. Minimum requirements for the TOEFL score are 600 on the paper version of the exam, 250 on the computerized version, and 100 on the Internet Based Test.

Reapplication

Applicants who reapply for admission must comply with all of the above procedures. The LSAT does not need to be repeated (provided it is from a LSAT taken within the past five years), but a current 2014-2015 CAS report must be provided in addition to the application. Although not required, we encourage reapplicants to submit an updated résumé and personal statement.

Combined Degree Programs

Combined Degree Programs are available with the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and most of the master's degree programs offered through the UC Davis Department of Graduate Studies. Separate applications should be submitted to each department because the evaluation and decision processes are performed independently. If admitted to both programs, the applicant must enroll at the School of Law for the first year. Contact the Graduate School or department for their requirements.

California Residency

The law school admission process does not take residency into consideration although tuition is based on residency. Detailed information about residency is provided at the UC Davis Office of the Registrar's web site. Specific questions about residency should be directed to the UC Davis Residency Deputy.

University of California, Davis, School of Law • King Hall • 400 Mrak Hall Drive • Davis, CA95616‑5201